Everyone is putting in their two cents about Armando Galarraga so I suppose I will. Now there is no disagreement that the call was terrible and destroyed what would have been a historical moment for the Tigers and Galarraga.
But what I will say is that I am against overturning the call. Is overturning the call really going to accomplish anything. The record book will read differently but the story will always be the same: Jim Joyce blew the call on the 27 batter. What ever Selig tries to tell us and no matter how many times Joyce apologizes, the image of Galarraga stepping on first shortly followed by Jason Donald and Joyce's emphatic safe call will forever be in baseball lore.
The game wasn't perfect. There was on error and though it wasn't from a player the game is forever tainted whether Selig steps in or not.
All this incident might do is bring about instant replay more rapidly, but nothing that happens now will change anything for Galarraga or Joyce. Their places in history are firmly set.
Showing posts with label Instant Replay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Instant Replay. Show all posts
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Instant Replay is Not the Answer
So as it was replayed 50 times on Friday night, I'm sure that everyone knows that Joe Mauer actually hit a ground rule double in the top of they 11th inning and not a foul ball down the left-field line. If Mauer was given the double then he more than likely would have scored in the top half of the inning and perhaps they would have kept playing into the early morning hours in the Bronx rather than sitting in their hotel rooms in Minnesota right now.
Much has been made about this umpiring flop in particular and the quality of officiating in the playoffs in general, but I'll say this: let it go. Human error is part of the game. Just like Matt Holliday is a pariah in St. Louis for his blunder in Game 2 against the Dodgers and Bill Buckner became the anti-Christ in Boston for years, umpires can have lapses and miss calls. It is the human element of the game and I for one am not going to throw them under the bus for a couple of screwed up plays.
The Twins might not even be in the playoffs if not for a blown call. So how can they complain if one goes against them in a big spot? The reality is Minnesota had the bases loaded and nobody out in that same inning and they could not score a run. Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez each saw one pitch and made an out. Neither swung at a quality pitch or made Dave Robertson make a pitch. So who is really to blame for the Twins inability to score in the 11th? Phil Cuzzi or poor hitting with runners on base?
I understand that from my perspective it is tough to feel the pain a Twins fan might be feeling, but every section of fandom in every sport has had a call go against their team. Sometimes your team out plays the mistake, sometimes it causes them to fall apart, but the reality is that sometimes you have to just look in the mirror for the real reason you did not win.
Leave the umpires alone. They call a remarkable amount of plays the right way and the game is better for having people out there making quick decisions rather than second guessing every close play. I don't know about you, but I don't think I could stand it if Yankee vs. Red Sox games got any longer.
Much has been made about this umpiring flop in particular and the quality of officiating in the playoffs in general, but I'll say this: let it go. Human error is part of the game. Just like Matt Holliday is a pariah in St. Louis for his blunder in Game 2 against the Dodgers and Bill Buckner became the anti-Christ in Boston for years, umpires can have lapses and miss calls. It is the human element of the game and I for one am not going to throw them under the bus for a couple of screwed up plays.
The Twins might not even be in the playoffs if not for a blown call. So how can they complain if one goes against them in a big spot? The reality is Minnesota had the bases loaded and nobody out in that same inning and they could not score a run. Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez each saw one pitch and made an out. Neither swung at a quality pitch or made Dave Robertson make a pitch. So who is really to blame for the Twins inability to score in the 11th? Phil Cuzzi or poor hitting with runners on base?
I understand that from my perspective it is tough to feel the pain a Twins fan might be feeling, but every section of fandom in every sport has had a call go against their team. Sometimes your team out plays the mistake, sometimes it causes them to fall apart, but the reality is that sometimes you have to just look in the mirror for the real reason you did not win.
Leave the umpires alone. They call a remarkable amount of plays the right way and the game is better for having people out there making quick decisions rather than second guessing every close play. I don't know about you, but I don't think I could stand it if Yankee vs. Red Sox games got any longer.
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